During the band’s extended closing number, the two guitarists and bassist strolled away from the stage one at a time, leaving drummer Rodney Holmes to paralyze the audience with an absolute thunderstorm of percussion. The unaccompanied solo, a throwback to John Bonham’s lengthy percussive tantrums with Zeppelin, had the crowd slack-jawed and awed for more than five minutes… But we’ll come back to that. 

Project Percolator made the trip to York, Maine, from the band’s headquarters in New York for two shows at Inn on the Blues on April 30 and May 1. The show was slightly off season for the Inn, which reserves most of its live music for the busy summer months. But bandleader Jim Weider, who refers to York Harbor as “a second home,” rarely fails to draw a crowd in the area.

The bar was mostly full when Weider strapped on his telecaster guitar and dove into a set of classic instrumental rock in support of Percolator’s new CD “Pulse.” A veteran performer capable of truly explosive solos, Weider adopted laboring facial expressions as he hit the upper registers, demonstrating undiminished passion for his craft.

The audience, consisting primarily of middle-aged people seated at tables, roared at the conclusion of the first song. Many seemed familiar with Weider and his band, who perform in the greater Seacoast with some regularity.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to get our record out than coming to Maine,” Weider told the crowd.

Project Percolator is the latest project of a musician with an impressive résumé. For 15 years, Weider toured internationally as a member of The Band, alongside original members Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson. He has also performed or recorded with such legends as Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Bob Weir, Paul Butterfield, Dr. John, Taj Mahal and many others. 
A blues-based electric guitarist, Weider began fronting his own bands in the late 1980s and released his first solo recording in 1993. Project Percolator unveiled its debut album “Percolator” in 2006 and has since toured across the nation. Heading into Thursday’s show, the band had made at least seven prior appearances at Inn on the Blues.

With Rodney Holmes on drums, Mitch Stein on rhythm guitar and Steve Lucas on bass, Percolator cobbles together jazzy grooves and heavy blues riffs for an aggressive rock sound highlighted by indulgent solos from all four instrumentalists. Weider almost effortlessly needles the guitar strings for gliding atmospheric sounds or straight-up filthy rock, depending on the mood he wants to inspire. And he has found more than able complements in his three band mates, each of whom seem capable of fronting their own bands.

Weider switched guitars for the evening’s second song, “Squirrels in Paris,” which appears on the new album. But Mitch Stein soon jumped in with a solo of his own, crammed with rapid, mesmerizing notes that earned him hearty applause. The younger guitarist demonstrated a faster improvisational style than Weider, and both displayed an infectious joy in their playing. 

Lucas, too, took advantages of several opportunities to shine on his red six-string bass, although his proficient plucking was often overshadowed by the more incendiary solos of his band mates. Perhaps most combustible of all was Holmes, whose calamitous tirades on the cymbals and skins reached degrees of such tumult that the waves crashing outside on Short Sands Beach could hardly compete. He even drew a couple of standing ovations from the crowd.

Mixed in with a number of originals from “Pulse,” Weider paid homage to his former group with a jam-filled instrumental version of The Band’s classic “The Weight.” He utilized a spread of foot pedals to add some psychedelic twists during an experimental mid-song solo. A couple of songs later, the band was ready for a finale.

Which brings us back to the end. Weider warned the crowd that the last song would be a long one, and he set the mood with a bluesy slide guitar intro. Then, with a sudden and raucous drumbeat, the band delved into a deep blues tune. Later, Weider casually picked up a glass of red wine and sauntered away from the stage, leaving a trio in his wake. Stein then took a crack at a solo before laying down his bass and walking out to the porch. Lucas followed with a short but sweet bass improvisation before exiting as well, paving the way for Holmes’ aforementioned musical soliloquy.  

Several minutes passed before the rest of the band returned to join their drummer and wrap up the set. By showcasing each individual part, they had enhanced the crowd’s appreciation of the whole.

For more information on Jim Weider and Project Percolator, visit www.jimweider.com or www.myspace.com/jimweiderband.